Kami no Ikazuchi
by Wudda Taicho
Summary: Naruto as it should be done! intelligent, powerful, AU. The Thunder God rises!
1. Birth of the Thunder God

DISCLAMA: Naruto isn't mine, but it should be: I need some money!

Namikaze Naruto: Kami no Ikazuchi

Konohakagure, the strongest of the 5 Hidden Villages, was getting its ass kicked. Kyuubi no Kitsune, the great nine tailed fox, was on the rampage, and had decided that it wanted to see Konoha as a ruined pile of rubble.

"We have to hold it here until the Hokage arrives!" a Jounin yelled, before being incinerated by a bolt of lightning from the snarling fox. A Chunnin screamed out as he saw his sensei killed, "How long until he gets here!?" An ANBU captain had the answer. Giving a smile from behind his mask, "Don't worry son, the hero always arrives late."

_20 minutes later_

A huge toad appeared with a man riding atop his head. This was no ordinary man; this was Yondaime Hokage, the great fire shadow of Konoha. "Everyone stand down!" he commanded. The great summon Gamabunta asked, "You sure you wanna go through with this Minato?"

The man sighed, "Yes Gama-san, it's the only way." With that said, he began to run through hand seals at an astonishing rate. There was a flash of light and a roaring sound, and the Kyuubi was gone.

_Hokage Tower, Konoha Council Room_

Inside the council room, the various clan heads of the village, along with several of the prominent village business owners and traders were all speaking in hushed tones awaiting the arrival of the newly reinstated Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Sasuke. As of yet, none of them had any clue as to how the battle with the great demon had ended, but they knew that it was _over_, and for that they were extremely grateful.

Suddenly all talking ceased and all eyes turned to the ornate oaken entrance to the chamber. The Sandaime walked in, clutching a small bundle to his chest. Hyuuga Hiashi immediately stood and asked "Is it true, Sandaime-sama? Is he...is Minato…" he trailed of, unable to finish the question. Sarutobi slowly nodded his head, a tear rolling down his cheek. Seeing this, Hiashi slumped back into his seat, with a crushed expression on his face. Hiashi had been very close to the Yondaime since their Genin days. Everyone in the room shared his feelings. The young leader had been a breath of fresh air, giving the villagers fresh hope every day with his happy-go-lucky attitude, and his bright smile. The council bowed their heads in respect for the fallen leader.

"Hokage-sama, what is that?" asked Aburame Shibi, referring to the bundle in the Hokage's arms. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is the key to our victory over the Kyuubi, and our hope for the future." Sarutobi answered. With that, he pulled back the blanket, exposing a small gurgling baby boy. Several eyes widened as they took in the child's appearance. Azure blue eyes, birth marks on the face that seemed more like whiskers, and violent blonde hair. The boy looked remarkably like the Yondaime. "I don't understand Hokage-sama," started Uchiha Fugaku, "what does this boy have to do with the Kyuubi? It is dead, isn't it?"

"No. As great a man as he was, Minato could not kill the demon fox, so he did the next best thing-he sealed it away." Sarutobi pulled the blanket down to expose the boy's stomach. Charging a small amount of chakra into his finger, he placed it on the child.

Like magic, several runes and symbols appeared around a spiral seal. "The Kyuubi is right here, under tight lock and key."

_Mindscape_

Deep within the boy, the demon we all love to hate was pacing back and forth within its massive cage. For the past twenty-two hours since it had been sealed, it had been studying every single detail of its prison, trying to find away to escape.

"**Damn that human! I hate to say it but this seal is very well designed. Created with the help of the Shinigami himself; as powerful as I am, even I cannot defy the Death God!"**

Realizing that there would be no escape from this fate, the thousand year old fox then set his mind to his future within his vessel.

_Council chamber_

Back in the real world, some of the more idiotic members of the council were voicing their opinions on what that should be.

"We must kill the demon now, while it is weak, and be rid of it forever!" screamed one of the members. This exclamation was met with many murmurs and head nods.

"Absolutely not!" said Sandaime. "I will not condemn this boy to death for something he has no control over! You should be ashamed of yourself for suggesting such a thing!"

Several of the ninja clan heads rose to their feet in anger at that statement. "Shame?" one of them cried out. "The only shame I feel is from the fact that our _leader_ will not do what is right. The scourge of the village is right in front of us and you will not destroy it? Did my clansmen die for nothing? I demand justice!"

Sarutobi sighed in exasperation. He knew something like this might happen. The Yondaime trusted too much in the people of his village. They would never see the boy as a hero; they would only wish for his death. In his mind, there was only one way to protect the boy.

"As of right now I am enacting a new law; the kyuubi is never to be spoken of again within our village. Nor shall this boy ever attacked or discriminated against because of it. Anyone found guilty of breaking this law will be put to death by the Hokage personally or the ANBU Corps. I have spoken!"

The clan leader who had spoken earlier was furious. "This is ludicrous! Sandaime Hokage, I demand that you put that demon to-" he stopped in mid-sentence to investigate the ANBU blade that seemed to growing out of his chest. He slumped to the ground, dead.

"Thank you Inu." said Sarutobi. The ANBU agent gave a slight nod and seemed to fade back into thin air. "Are there any others who have anything to say?" The room was silent as the grave. "Good. This concludes that matter. Alright everyone this meeting is adjourned; assess the damages to your respective districts and bring your detailed reports to tomorrow mornings meeting. Dismissed!"

As the council members filed out of the room, Sarutobi looked down at the small smiling boy in his arms. His life would be hard; with no parents and the pressure of defending innocents everyday from the kyuubi, he would struggle harder than most.

But, even with all the hardship and pain on the horizon, the boy would still become a great ninja; Kami no Shinobi would see to it!

AN: There! The first chapter of my story is complete! A little generic, I know, but its best to start off simple. This story will be about how Naruto's life should be according to the mind of Wudda Taicho. Our hero will be what some will call overpowered, but my response to that is:

1. There is a freaking DEMON inside of him.

2. it's my story, ill do what I want!

See you guys next time! Thx for reading!


	2. The Thunder God Graduates

DISCLAMA: Naruto isn't mine, but it should be: why is Sasuke stronger than him

DISCLAMA: Naruto isn't mine, but it should be: why is Sasuke stronger than him?

Chapter 2: The Thunder God Graduates

He hated alarm clocks. The first thing he would do when he had enough pull in the village was have the damn things outlawed. A wide grin split his face as he thought of that wondrous day.

As he got out of bed and started his morning routine, he racked his brains trying to figure out why he was up so damn early anyway. It came to him when he looked at his calendar that had a kunai stuck in today's date.

"Holy crap! Today's graduation day!" he exclaimed. "I'll finally become an official ninja!"

With that thought in mind, he scrambled about his small apartment getting ready for the biggest day of his young life.

_Hokage tower_

Sarutobi chuckled as he watched Naruto through his crystal ball. The boy had grown up nicely, despite having been denied a normal childhood. He had had quite a few assassination attempts made on his life, about 36 at the last count, all of which had been stopped rather violently by the ANBU agents guarding him. All of the ANBU were fiercely protective of Naruto, probably because they all knew who his father was.

Sarutobi turned and looked at the picture of the Fourth hanging on the wall. The resemblance between father and son were unmistakable. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't look at that picture and wonder how things might be if that damn fox hadn't attacked.

"Are you watching, Minato?" he asked, "your son is on the way to becoming a great ninja. He will make us both proud."

_Konoha Academy_

As Naruto walked into his classroom, he noticed that he was just a little bit early. He frowned. He hated being early, because that meant he had to wait, and he hated waiting. He took his normal seat near the back and began to observe his classmates or, possible teammates.

Near the front, snoring his ass off, was the incredibly lazy, but quite brilliant, Nara Shikamaru. The boy was totally unmotivated unless pushed, but when he put his effort into something, there was no obstacle his brain and family shadow techniques could not overcome.

Sitting next to the Nara was the pleasantly plump Akimichi Chouji, snacking on a bag of chips. Naruto didn't know much about him, except for the fact that calling him fat would most likely result in an ass beating.

Off to his left, Inuzuka Kiba and his puppy Akamaru. Kiba's family used dogs as partners in battle. A little strange, but who really expects to be shredded by a spinning dog?

Aburame Shino sat in a corner on the right side of the class. Everyone thought Shino was a little creepy, with his logic based lifestyle and the fact that he NEVER laughed. Couple that with the bugs that he seemed to always have on him, and you have a very unsettling individual.

In the front of the classroom sat Hinata Hyuuga. In Naruto's opinion, Hinata was one of the nicest girls in the class. Until you had to fight her, that is. Then she became one of the most terrifying people he had ever seen. Her style of fighting was Jyuuken, a chakra based attack form. Using that style coupled with her clans Byakugan, she could shut off chakra points and even destroy internal organs. Very scary.

Behind her was Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke irked him to no end. He had this crazy idea in his head that because he was an Uchiha, he was automatically given a seat at the top of the world. What really pissed Naruto off though, was that Sasuke was no slouch. Out of all the people in the class, he was the only one Naruto had never beaten in a straight up fight. Each of the seven times they had actually gotten into it, they were always stopped by academy instructors before there was a clear winner.

SLAM!!

The door to classroom burst open and in tumbled Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura.

Immediately, they began squabbling about which one of them had made it through the door first and how this totally irrelevant fact would win the Uchiha's affection. Both of them were equally useless in Naruto's eyes. The two of them seemed to think that looking good and knowing the latest gossip was more important than learning how to _not get killed._ He prayed that neither of these two chumps would be on his team, and felt sorry for whoever would be stuck with them.

The clock struck 8 and like magic Umino Iruka appeared at the front of the class.

"Alright everyone listen up! Today is Graduation Exam Day! If you make it through today's exams, you will join an elite brotherhood. Konoha ninja are feared and respected wherever we set foot! Some of the greatest ninja to ever live were produced right here, in this very building. The God of Ninja, the Yellow Flash, the Sannin: they all once sat in the same seats you are in now."

He snapped his fingers and with a puff of smoke, rows of Konohagakure forehead protectors appeared on his desk.

"You will each be called to the exam room to test. If you pass, you will come back here to receive your forehead protector. When testing is completed, you will receive team assignments. Good luck."

With that, he left the room with the two other proctors that nobody even noticed were there.

_Konoha examination room, 27 minutes later_

Naruto entered the examination room. Seated at the front were Iruka, another instructor named Mizuki, and a member of the Hyuuga clan named Hitoshi.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are present to attempt the Konohagakure Ninja Exam. You are here of your own free will?"

Naruto nodded his head.

"Very well then, let's begin. Flare your chakra please."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. "Umm, Iruka-sensei? Are you sure you want me to do that? My chakra is kind of, well, dangerous."

Iruka just waved a hand at him. "Don't worry about it. There are protective seals around the entire room, and we'll be fine. Now continue."

Naruto nodded and put his hands into the Ram seal and began flaring his chakra. As he did so, Iruka noticed that Naruto's _was_ rather violent. Usually a student's chakra swirled around their body in a calm spherical motion. Naruto's was wild, whipping around him and striking out in random directions. Iruka looked over to the Hyuuga.

"Hyuuga-san?"

Hitoshi activated his Byakugan and took a look into Naruto's chakra circulatory system. His eyes widened at what he saw. The boy's chakra coils were nearly double the normal size for a ninja his age, and his chakra pathways intersected more than normal, giving his chakra more routes through his body. The chakra itself had a sharp, piercing quality to it. Hitoshi could see that Naruto's chakra nature was most definitely lightning, even if it wasn't fully developed yet.

He deactivated his eyes and said, "His chakra system meets our requirements."

"Very good," said Iruka, "onto the next part, Kawarimi no jutsu." He suddenly drew a kunai and threw it at Naruto.

Thinking quickly, Naruto replaced himself with a chair.

"Very well done," said Iruka. "Next you must create a minimum of three Bunshins."

Naruto molded his chakra and called out, "Bunshin no jutsu!"

When the smoke cleared, there were thirteen Naruto's standing in the room.

Iruka nodded and said, "Alright, you can release them now, though you didn't have to make so many."

"That's the lowest number I can make, Iruka-sensei," said Naruto as he released the clones. "If I try to make any less than that, my chakra goes all weird and my clones come out crappy looking."

"Oh," said Iruka, "well that doesn't matter now. Perform Henge no jutsu and you pass."

Once more, Naruto molded his chakra.

"Henge!"

Suddenly, the fourth Hokage appeared in the room,

"Kai!"

and promptly changed back into Naruto.

"Congratulations!" said Iruka, "You pass! Report back to the classroom for your forehead protector and further instructions."

Naruto smiled broadly and left the room. He was a ninja now; nothing in the world could stop him. He would be the greatest!

_Classroom_

Naruto had returned to the classroom and was just settling into his seat with his headband tied around his head when Iruka walked in.

"Congratulations to all of you," he said." I will now announce team selections."

Naruto began to zone out until he heard his name called.

"Team 7 under Hatake Kakashi will consist of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura."

WHAM!!

The sound of splintering wood could be heard as Naruto slammed his head into his desk in exasperation. How had this happened? How had he been teamed up with the prick and the annoying, useless fan girl? Were the gods out to get him or something? At least his sensei was pretty cool. From the rumors he had heard about Hatake Kakashi, he seemed to be awesome.

As Naruto was wallowing in self-pity, Iruka finished reading off team assignments.

"Team 8, under Yuuhi Kurenai, will consist of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba. Team 9, under Sarutobi Asuma, will consist of Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji, and Nara Shikamaru. Your senseis will come by to collect you after lunch. Good luck to you all." With that, he left the room and they all broke for lunch.

_After lunch, Konoha Academy classroom_

Once everyone had returned from lunch and settle back into the classroom, they began to group up with their teammates to get acquainted. After a while jounins began to arrive to pick up their teams. A particularly lazy looking jounin with gravity-defying hair walked in while reading a book. Without looking up, he said, "Team 7, meet on the roof," and walked back out.

_Konoha Academy, rooftop_

As the three made it to the rooftop, the lazy-looking, masked jounin appeared in a swirl of leaves, still reading his book. As they made their way over to him, he marked his page and began to speak.

"Hello, my name is Hatake Kakashi, and I am the Jounin sensei for Team 7. Why don't you all introduce yourselves?"

"What should we say?" asked Sakura.

"Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, stuff like that." answered Kakashi.

"Can you go first, and show us how it's done?" asked Naruto.

"Sure. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I enjoy a good fight and an even better novel. I dislike cowards and selfish individuals. I don't feel like sharing my hobbies or dreams right now. Get it? Good. Now it's your turn Blondie."

Naruto bristled a bit at the slight on his hair but went ahead with his introduction. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like thunderstorms and all kinds of ramen. I also have a thing for chocolate. I dislike people who judge others without knowing anything about them. I also dislike genjutsu. My hobbies are practicing my ninjutsu and taijutsu, and trying new kinds of ramen. My dream is to be the greatest at everything I do!"

Kakashi nodded and pointed to Sasuke. "You next, brooding one."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There aren't many things that I hate, but there aren't many things that I like either. My dream, no, my ambition is to restore power to my clan and kill a certain man."

Naruto and Kakashi both frowned a bit at hearing this, but of course Sakura acted like it was the coolest thing she had ever heard. Kakashi pointed at her. "Your turn, Pinky."

"I am Haruno Sakura. I like… a certain person. My hobbies are….. a certain person. My dreams for the future are…, I dislike Yamanaka Ino and Uzumaki Naruto!"

Kakashi frowned again while Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Well now that we've got that out the way, on to business. We will meet tomorrow at training ground number 7 for your first mission."

"What is the mission tomorrow?" asked Sakura.

Kakashi looked at her for a moment and said, "To become Genins."

"I thought we were already Genins!" said Naruto, "What was that test at the academy for!?"

"That test was to determine who was eligible to become a Genin," answered Kakashi, "the final decision however, comes from the jounin who was put in charge. So meet tomorrow at 6 am sharp. Bring all of your equipment: trust me, you'll need it."

And then he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

AN: Second chapter complete! I've finally got all the boring stuff out of the way for now. Things will start heating up in the next chapter.

Now ill address some of the reviews from last chapter. As far as pairings go, I haven't decided yet what they will be but I can tell you it won't be anybody from Sound. Maybe my new Hinata or Temari. We'll see.

As for weapons, Benkei Atsumori, we think pretty much alike. It will something along that line.

Chapter song:**Akaneiro ga Moeru Toki (when the sky burns red) by Scoobie do**


	3. Kakashi's Test

DISCLAIMA: Naruto isn't mine, but it should be: Gaara gets taken out by Deidara?

_Location change and 'character thoughts'_

**Jutsu being used!**

"**Non human speaking"**

_**Non human thinking**_

Chapter 3: Kakashi's Test

_5:45 am, Konoha training ground 7_

Kakashi made sure he was well hidden in the trees and waited on his students to arrive. While he waited, he went over his initial evaluation of the three soon- to- be Genins under his command.

Naruto had the potential to go the farthest on this team. He came from good stock, had a thousand year old chakra battery in his stomach, and had constant supervision by ANBU since the day he was born. Kakashi was anxious to see what the kid had picked up from them.

And then there was Sasuke. He was an Uchiha, which was a plus because he would more than likely develop the Sharingan, which would make him easier to teach. And when he learned to use his family's fire techniques, he would be even more dangerous. Team him up with Naruto and by the time they reached Chunin, even Kakashi would be hard-pressed to beat them. That boy could be a great asset, if Kakashi could break him out of that 'I'm an avenger' trip the boy was on. Granted, having your older brother kill off all but seven members of your clan was a pretty big thing to get over, but there was a time for revenge, and it wasn't right now.

And lastly there was Sakura. Damn. The girl had some talent, seeing as how she had gotten out of the Academy. But that level of skill was only suited for D-rank and low C-rank missions. With Naruto's and Sasuke's skill sets, he was going to make this a heavy -combat team, which would eventually be taking on B and A-ranked missions. That meant he had to build Sakura from the ground up, training her endurance and teaching her some attack jutsus. From the file he had read on her, she had excellent chakra control, so he could probably teach her some genjutsu techniques to support the boys.

But her most glaring problem was her fan girl complex. He had to break her out of that crap early or she would get them all killed. If left unchecked, her infatuation with Sasuke would cause her to leave a client unprotected or ignore Naruto or probably Kakashi when they needed help. He had some ideas on how to resolve this problem that he would be employing pretty soon.

'_Today can be fun after all,'_ he thought with a smile.

_5:50 am, training ground 7_

Naruto walked into the training area and took a look around. Over to one side, he saw three posts standing in front of a huge stone of some sort. A little ways over to the other side, there was a small stream. And of course there were trees all around. Naruto leaned up against one of the trees, pulled out a chocolate bar, and began to eat it while he waited for the others to show up.

A couple of minutes later, Sasuke walked into the clearing with Sakura predictably attached to his hip, chattering his ear off. Naruto didn't like Sasuke very much, but he had to applaud the guy for not snapping and killing the girl. Sasuke noticed Naruto and made a beeline for him.

"You had better not get in my way today, clown." said Sasuke.

"Huh, good morning to you too, you pompous ass," replied Naruto.

"Hey! You can't talk to Sasuke-kun that way!" chimed in Sakura.

Ignoring her, Naruto said to Sasuke, "I think you should be more worried about that pink haired stalker more than me, neh?"

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get the words out, Kakashi appeared before them in a swirl of leaves.

"Yo," he said. "Since we're all here, let's get to the test." He pulled two bells out of his pocket.

"Your objective is to take these bells from me, using any and all means necessary. You will have four hours in which to do so. The one who does not get a bell will fail and be sent back to the Academy for another semester of basic training."

"Begin."

Sasuke and Sakura immediately dashed off to the trees to hide. Naruto just stood there looking at Kakashi.

"Umm, aren't you going to conceal yourself?" asked Kakashi.

"Maybe later," said Naruto. "First I want to see how I stack up against the great Kakashi."

"How you stack up against me?" Kakashi asked. "I am an elite Jounin, one of the greatest ninja in this village, and you are not even a Genin. I think that pretty much sums up where you stand."

Naruto frowned. "I am the man who will become the greatest," he said. "Titles mean nothing to me."

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his book.

"Bring it on then," he said. "Shinobi know-how number one, Taijutsu, will be your first lesson from me."

"You might want to put that book away Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto. "I might hurt you."

"Don't worry," said Kakashi. "The outcome will be the same whether I read or not."

Naruto rushed forward, using his chakra to boost his speed. As he moved, he threw two shuriken to try and throw Kakashi off balance. Without looking up, Kakashi caught them…with his fingers?

Undeterred, Naruto threw a storm of punches at Kakashi's face. Kakashi didn't block any of them, simply weaving his head around Naruto's attacks.

As Naruto threw a roundhouse kick at the back of Kakashi's head (he ducked), he thought to himself, '_This is ridiculous! I knew power difference between us was huge, but I can't hit him once? Time to take it up a notch!'_

Naruto threw another punch at Kakashi. Just as it seemed to connect, the jounin disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Naruto asked out loud.

Sasuke and Sakura had been watching the whole thing from nearby trees. They saw Kakashi reappear behind Naruto with his hands in a Tiger seal.

"A ninja never lets his enemy get behind him, baka," said Kakashi.

'_The tiger seal?' _thought Sakura, '_he's going to use a high level ninjutsu against Naruto?'_

'_The tiger seal is used for Katon jutsus,' _Sasuke thought. '_That teacher's not screwing around!'_

"Naruto, get out of there!" screamed Sakura. "You're going to die!"

"Too late," said Kakashi. **"Konohagakure Taijutsu Ougi: Sennen Goroshi!"**

Kakashi rushed forward and shoved his fingers up Naruto's ass. Or so he thought.

The Naruto in front of him poofed out of existence, and he heard from his back,

"You should listen to your own advice, sensei! **Raiton: Sandaa Saaburu!"**

Kakashi heard a low humming sound, and turned around to see Naruto rushing toward him with what looked like a small bolt of lightning in his hand.

'_What the hell?'_ thought Kakashi. '_He shouldn't know how to do something like that!'_

"Take this!" yelled Naruto as he swung his lightning blade into Kakashi.

The attack connected with a small explosion. As the smoke cleared, Naruto stared down at two jagged halves of a log.

'_The replacement technique? Damn it! I almost had him!' _thought Naruto. In his frustration, he didn't notice Kakashi throw a punch from his peripheral vision.

WHAM!

Naruto left his feet and went flew off into the trees, where a thick tree trunk helped him out by stopping his flight. He slid down the tree and slipped into unconsciousness.

'_Maybe I shouldn't have hit him so hard,' _Kakashi thought. He looked down at the small burn mark on his sleeve. The kid had managed to hit him. Kakashi had no idea the boy knew any lightning jutsus. And since there was no delay between his chakra spiking and him performing the attack, that meant he did it without hand seals. Impressive.

Sasuke saw that Kakashi's back was toward him and chose that time to attack. He sent a hail of kunai and shuriken towards Kakashi. The projectiles slammed into the jounin and Sasuke thought he had scored a hit until he saw his kunai embedded into a log.

'_Damn it!'_ he thought._ 'I've just given away my position! He was waiting for me to do that!'_ Sasuke ran through the treetops to get to a better position before Kakashi found him and beat the crap out of him.

Meanwhile, Sakura, who had done nothing the whole time, decided it was time to find her Sasuke-kun. She ran through the trees trying to find him. She was so intent on finding Sasuke that she ran right by Naruto who was just starting to recover.

'_Where is Sasuke-kun?' _she asked herself. '_Did Kakashi-sensei already get him?' _She shook her head. _'No, that can't happen to Sasuke-kun.'_

She was so busy thinking about how so great Sasuke was and how just the two of them would pass, that she almost ran straight into Kakashi.

'_Whew! I'm safe. He didn't see me,'_ she thought.

"Sakura, behind you," said Kakashi.

As she turned around, leaves began to blow all around her, and her mind blanked out for a moment. When she came to, she was still in the same place, but Kakashi was gone.

'_What just happened?' _she wondered.

Off to her left, she heard the sound of bushes parting and Sasuke walked into the clearing, stuck all over with kunai and shurikens, bleeding heavily.

"Sakura, help me," he said.

Sakura saw him and promptly passed out.

"Maybe I overdid it a little," said Kakashi. "But she should have noticed if was real or not."

"Genjutsu, Shinobi know-how number two. Hallucination techniques that control the mind and cause the victim to see and hear whatever the user desires. Sakura fell for it so easily, didn't she, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked as he saw Sasuke walk into the clearing.

"Yes, she did," answered Sasuke. "But… I'm different from them."

"Say that after you get a bell," Kakashi challenged.

_With Naruto _

Naruto came to and slowly got to his feet. He hadn't expected to be taken down that easily. That had just been a lucky punch. He'd get Kakashi next time, for sure!

Naruto froze in his tracks as he realized that he wouldn't get him next time. None of them would. It was impossible for any of them to beat Kakashi one on one. But that was the idea behind the test. Teamwork! The whole "two bell" thing was just a ploy to get them to go against each other. He checked his watch. They had about an hour left to pass. He just had to find the others and they would pass this thing!

As he was dashing through the trees, he came upon Sakura's unconscious form. No surprise there. He picked her up and moved on. He felt a chakra spike off to his left, so turned that way and moved as quickly as he could.

_With Kakashi and Sasuke_

Sasuke was facing the same difficulty with Kakashi that Naruto did. All of his strikes were blocked or effortlessly dodged. Sasuke jumped back to create some space between them.

"Are you really different from the others, Sasuke?" Kakashi taunted. "I sure don't see any difference."

Sasuke said nothing. His response was to run through some hand seals at top speed, ending on tiger.

"**Katon:**** Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"**

'_A low level like him shouldn't be able to do this!' _Kakashi thought as Sasuke unleashed his attack.

Sasuke looked on with satisfaction as his attack burned down. Then….

"He's gone! Is he behind me? No, above? Where is he?"

"Beneath you," said a voice.

A hand burst out of the ground and grabbed Sasuke by the leg.

"**Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!"**

Quicker than he could blink, Sasuke was buried up to his neck in the ground. Kakashi appeared in front of him.

"Shinobi know-how number three: Ninjutsu. Looks like you're not so different after all," he said. "You should stop trying so hard to distance yourself from your teammates. After all, the nail that sticks out gets hammered."

With that, he began to walk away.

Naruto arrived with Sakura (who had woken up by this time) in time to see Sasuke's fireball technique and watch him get sucked into the ground by their teacher, which Naruto thought was pretty funny. He had tried to explain to the girl his plan for how they would pass, but she was back in full blown Fan Girl mode and probably hadn't heard a word he said. Totally useless.

As soon as he determined Kakashi was safely out of sight, Naruto dashed across the clearing to free Sasuke.

"Get away from me clown, I don't need your help," said Sasuke.

"Yeah, yeah, you're an avenger lone wolf type. We don't have time for that crap right now. I have a plan, and if you guys get on board, well pass this test."

"Oh yeah? Why should we listen to you?" asked Sakura.

Naruto gave her a look that was cold as ice. "Why? 2 reasons: you are a useless waste of space that is dragging this team down, and I'm the only one who has figured out this test. Any other questions?"

They both shook their heads.

"Good. Sasuke, can you do that fireball thing again?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded his head.

"Alright," said Naruto, "here's my plan…"

_Konoha training ground, main area 10 minutes remaining_

Kakashi walked toward the alarm clock he had set up near the memorial stone. There were about ten minutes left in the exam, so his students should be coming soon.

Suddenly, about fifty kunai flew at him from three directions. Because he was in the middle of a field, there was nothing in range to replace himself with, and at the angles they were thrown, he could not simply dodge out of their path without being hit. His only option was to block them all.

As he pulled a kunai, Naruto and Sasuke dashed out of the tree line, took up positions on either side of him and launched ninjutsus.

"**Katon:**** Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"**

**"Raiton:**** Raikyuu!"**

Now Kakashi had to deal with 50 kunai courtesy of traps set up by Sakura, a huge fireball thanks to Sasuke, and a giant blast of lightning from Naruto. It was a well thought out and executed attack…

But their opponent was Hatake Kakashi.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **Another Kakashi appeared and they stood back to back.

"**Fuuton: Daitoppa!"**

"**Suiton: Suijinheki!"**

Simultaneously, a huge gust of wind both blasted away the kunai and dispersed Naruto's lightning attack, and a huge wall of water appeared and stopped Sasuke's fireball.

Just then, the alarm bell rang, signaling the end of the test.

"Alright, everyone gather round," Kakashi said.

Kakashi watched his three soldiers gather before him. He honestly hadn't expected them to grasp the concept of the test and work as a team. What really threw him for a curve was that Sasuke and Sakura actually rallied under Naruto when things got down to the wire.

And he had looking forward to tying someone to the log.

"All right," Kakashi started,"what was the lesson behind this test?"

"Teamwork," said Naruto. "The two bells were only meant to be a distraction."

"That's right," said Kakashi. "Konoha ninja are able to utilize their full potential when they are supported by their teammates. And because we are a team, trust is paramount. After all, how can you help your teammates when you are afraid of them stabbing you in the back?"

"Naruto and Sasuke, you both tried to defeat me using your own strength, even though you knew that I am far more powerful than both of you. If you were to try something like that on a real mission, you would most likely be killed or get in the way of your allies, neither of which is a good thing. You guys have to learn to work with each other instead of against each other. It's alright to compete, but not at the cost of the mission."

He turned to Sakura and said, "Sakura, you set your focus completely on Sasuke. You were so determined to find Sasuke that, at one point you passed right by Naruto, who could have needed some help. That is unacceptable. What if he had been critically injured? What if he had died because you did not help him? I understand that other girls your age may be more interested in boys and gossip right now, but that cannot be your focus. You are a ninja, a cut above the rest. Shinobi are death dealers, not match makers."

Kakashi held out his hand. "A rope of a single strand can be destroyed easily," he said as the others put their hands on top of his, "but a rope of four strands cannot be broken by anything. Remember this and you will go far. I hereby recognize you three as Genin of Konoha and grant you the designation Team Kakashi!"

AN: Chapter 3 CLEAR! Sorry this took so long to get out, but work has been really hectic lately. After this upcoming week is over, I may be able to get into a regular writing schedule, maybe weekly or something. Ten points to whoever remembers where the rope quote comes from! See ya!

Song of the Day: Cant Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers

JUTSU CORNER

Raiton: Sandaa Saaburu – Lightning Release: Thunder Saber  
Art: Ninjutsu  
Rank: D  
Type: Attack  
Range: Close (0-5m)  
Description: The user will generate lightning in their hand and then strike their target, causing an explosive impact.

Raiton: Raikyuu – Lightning Release: Lightning Ball  
Art: Ninjutsu  
Rank: C  
Type: Attack  
Range: Close (0-5m), Mid (5-10m)  
Description: The user will form a ball of electricity, which they can hurl at their opponent.

**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu –Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique**  
**Art: **Ninjutsu  
**Rank: **C  
**Type:** Attack  
**Range: **Close (0-5m)  
**Description:** Katon • Goukakyuu no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu technique utilizing the Fire Element. The ninja does the necessary hand seals, draws chakra from their mouth into their chest, and then immediately exhales it. They then blow a stream of fire, which erupts into a large sphere of flames. To better manage the flames, the ninja will bring their hand to their mouth to control it.

Fuuton: Daitoppa – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough  
Art: Ninjutsu  
Rank: C  
Type: Attack  
Range: Close (0-5m), Mid (5-10m)  
Description: Fuuton • Daitoppa is a Ninjutsu technique that utilizes the Wind Element. After bringing their hand to their mouth, the user will blow a large blast of wind capable of leveling almost anything in its way.

Suiton: Suijinheki – Water Release: Water Encampment Wall  
Art: Ninjutsu  
Rank: C  
Type: Defense  
Range: Close (0-5m)  
Description: Suiton • Suijinheki is a Ninjutsu technique utilizing the Water Element. The ninja will first do a string of hand seals and then proceed to blow out a jet of water from their mouth or use a nearby water source to act as a water barrier from incoming attack.

**Sennen Goroshi - One Thousand Years of Death**  
**Art:** Taijutsu  
**Rank:** E  
**Type:** Attack  
**Range:** Close (0-5m)  
**Description:** Though it is called "Leaf's Ancient Supreme Technique", Sennen Goroshi serves more as an insulting shock technique rather than a skilled Taijutsu technique. The ninja forms their hands into the seal of the tiger, and then jabs their fingers into the nether regions of their target. The result is shocking violation of the targets sanctity and often their launching in the air to stop the awkward feeling.

Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu – Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique  
Art: Ninjutsu  
Rank: D  
Type: Supplementary Modifier  
Range: Close (0-5m)  
Description: Doton • Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu technique utilizing the Earth Element. The ninja will travel through the ground to appear below their target. They will then surprise their target by then pulling them into the ground. Once in the ground their target is thus immobilized.


	4. Message to Readers

Message to readers:

Message to readers:

I'm finally back guys! Work has been really crazy for me these past few weeks. (I'm in the air force, I don't know if I told you guys that or not.)

Any way, expect a new chapter of Naruto ass-kickery this weekend.

p.s. anybody see the new chapter of the manga? Sasuke and his punk ass Sharingan got WHOOPED!


End file.
